


Lost

by Blue_Five



Series: Into the Black [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2018-08-23 21:40:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8343838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Five/pseuds/Blue_Five
Summary: Re-imagining of Star Trek: BeyondAlpha/Omega AU





	1. Day in the Life

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: All chapters of this work are fiction using characters from the Star Trek universe. I do not claim any ownership over them or any of the many Trek universes. This work is solely for entertainment purposes and is not considered canon (not by a long shot).

Captain James T. Kirk looked around the Teenaxi Delegation’s meeting chamber. From the platform where he stood rose long curved ribs with small insets allowing the delegation a view of the floor center.  Small lights dotted the convex walls as they went up and circled the stage he was on.  An overhead source of light shone directly on him, making it difficult for him to see the minister and his fellow rulers but he kept his gaze steady, refusing to show any discomfort.  Like many other such chambers around the universe, it was designed to put those presenting to the chamber below the level of the members.  A subtle but effective method of reminding others of their submissive position … and Jim mentally kicked himself for thinking about submission.  An image of his hazel-eyed omega mate from just that morning drifted to the forefront of his thoughts and the captain of the _Enterprise_ found himself _very_ grateful the Teenaxi were not a telepathic species.  He straightened his shoulders and forced his mind back to the mission at hand.

The faintest flutter of amusement brushed against the link he shared with his mate, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy and Jim pressed his lips tightly together to keep a smile from leaking out. Bones had little use for all the frippery that came with negotiating between planets and different cultures but he never failed to support Jim in that effort.  As if on cue, the humor faded to a gentle reassuring ‘nudge’ – Bones’ way of saying “Go on, kid, you got this.”  Jim felt a tension he hadn’t even noticed building melt away from his shoulders and he cleared his throat as the minister waved a clawed hand for him to begin.

“My name is Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the United Federation of Planets. I’m appearing before you as a neutral representative of the Fibonan Republic.  I bring you a message of goodwill and present to you esteemed members of the Teenaxi Delegation, a gift from the Fibonan High Council with the highest regard,” he recited in what Bones called his “proper diplomat” voice.  He slid the case in his hand open and revealed the small disc nestled within.

Part of Jim’s mind was already back on the ship. He’d have to undergo the usual debrief with Spock and the standard medical checkup with Bones … something he planned to make last a little longer than was probably necessary … before settling back into his duty shift.  It was the other part of his mind still trained on the Teenaxi delegation that suddenly drew up short.  Instead of the usual tired graciousness he’d come to expect during these ‘shake hands and make nice’ missions, there had been a question from the minister. 

“What’s wrong with it?”

Jim blinked in confusion. “Uh … excuse me?”

The creature stared down at Jim with large yellow eyes. “Why don’t they want it anymore?”

Spock had warned him the Teenaxi were inherently suspicious of everything, bordering on outright paranoia. He fumbled for an explanation.

“Well … this was once a piece of an ancient weapon and now they offer it as a symbol of … um, peace,” the alpha explained. He recalled a tidbit from his review with Spock and added, “In the Fibonan culture, to surrender a weapon is an offer of truce.”

“How did they come by it?”

Jim stifled a growl. “They told me they acquired it a long time ago.”

“They stole it then!”

 _“No_ … they, um … well, I don’t know if they did or not.”

In a move that surprised Jim, the minister rose up and tossed his ceremonial spear to one side. Several of his fellows ducked to avoid it.  He rose up and pounded large fists on the ledge before him.

“You don’t know the Fibonans like we do!” He roared.

Jim looked down at the box and slid it shut. “Yes, that’s true, but Your Excellency, this gift …”

The creature shook its flaring head spikes. “They are a crowd of untrustworthy thieves who want to see us murdered in our own beds!”

Jim bit down his response and fought to maintain the poise expected of Starfleet captains, idly wondering how many of his predecessors had been in this situation.   Jim gathered his thoughts to try an attempt at drawing the conversation back to the underlying intent and to dispelling the notion that the gift was simply some old piece of trash the Fibonans found in a dusty attic.  For all he knew, that’s _exactly_ where it came from but he still had a job to do.

“This _beloved_ artifact is a symbol of trust and peace …”

The minister flailed his massively muscled arms. “They want to chop us into pieces and roast us over a fire --!”

Jim’s frustration bled through as he tried to find the words he needed. “I don’t really think that’s true –“

“And _eat us_!”

The alpha frowned outright now. “ _What?”_

The minister moved and Jim suddenly realized what he’d expected to be a simple act of diplomacy to smooth trade negotiations was about to spiral into something far less enjoyable. The alien launched itself out into the open space over Jim’s platform.  He instinctively brought up his fists and watched in disbelief as the creature landed on all fours – loud trilling that had started out in the near-bass rumble of the minister’s voice was now racing up the spectrum into a high-pitched squeal.  Simultaneously, the Teenaxi’s body _shrank_.  Jim stared wide-eyed at the diminutive form that howled up at him.  He cocked his head in confusion.

 _What the fu_ —

Jim’s thought went unfinished as he suddenly found himself with an armful of snarling teeth and slashing claws. He swung both fists at the creature but it had scrambled onto his back and was tenaciously holding onto Jim no matter how he spun and twisted.  Then something straight out of a nightmare happened – the _entire_ Teenaxi delegation threw themselves into the void, curling up into tight, rolling balls of fury that washed over the alpha like a very sharp and pointy wave.  He snarled and managed to throw off two attackers before tearing his communicator free from his belt. 

“Scotty!” Jim screamed over the ear-splitting trills. “Get me out of here!”

Born to the ground by the surprising weight of the aliens, Jim mentally cursed his chief engineer’s lackadaisical approach to life that frequently appeared at the least opportune moments.

“That was quick,” the Scotsman said cheerfully. His tone became concerned but only barely.  “There’s quite a bit of surface interference, sir.”

Jim, bucking off all but two of the tiny aliens attempting to shred his uniform, screamed, “Scotty!”

The familiar whine and disorientation of transport was the most beautiful thing Jim Kirk had ever experienced. He coalesced on the transporter pad and snarled as the Teenaxi’s that had come aboard with him were removed from his person.  Along with a boot. 

Jim tiredly limped off the platform, trusting that Security would attend to the miniature hellions behind him. He snatched up his boot and mournfully noticed all the holes in his shirt.  Bones was going to have a field day with that – the omega found it highly suspicious that his shirt tore on nearly every field mission.  McCoy was half-convinced that Jim wanted the entire galaxy to ogle his stellar physique. 

“How’d it go?” Scotty asked lamely.

Jim didn’t even bother to answer.

* * *

In the corridor, Jim headed for the nearest turbolift. He needed to get a shower.  Hell, he wanted to crawl back in bed and sleep for a week but he was the captain and it wouldn’t do for him to appear weak.  Halfway down the hall, he was flanked by Spock on one side and Bones on the other.  He huffed a laugh at the almost fond irritation tickling their link.  Spock drew his attention away with his usual efficiency.

“Captain, did you manage to broker a treaty with the Teenaxi?”

Jim sighed. It was almost as if Spock couldn’t see the shredded uniform and his weary expression.  “Let’s just say … I came up short.”  He tossed the artifact over his shoulder into the surprised hands of the Vulcan.  “Will you log that and put it in the vault, Spock?  Thanks.”

His first officer, long used to Jim’s erratic behavior after nearly three years together, nodded briskly and turned off to head for the ship’s archives. Jim was grateful for the lack of small talk from the man.  At least until his mate decided to start chatting – and Bones never liked to bother with sweet-talking an issue.  Not even for his alpha mate.  After near five years mated, the omega was just as acerbic now as he’d been the day Jim had met him on a shuttle headed to Starfleet Academy. 

“Jim, you look like shit.”

“Thanks, Bones.”

The omega glanced down at his tricorder. “Yeah, that little vein is popping out of your temple again.  You okay?”

Jim turned into the turbolift abruptly and his mate did a quick double-step to catch up as the doors hissed shut. Kirk wasted no time in fisting McCoy’s uniform and pulling him into a hard, unrelenting kiss while his free hand slid over the gleaming band that rested just over Leonard’s shirt collar.  He smiled when an involuntary moan escaped and Bones shuddered against him.  His spirit revived somewhat, Jim winked at his mate.

“Never better! Just another day in the ‘Fleet!”

* * *

Bones groaned as Jim laved his tongue over the double mating mark decorating his chest. The scars were just as sensitive now as they’d been since being put there and Jim damn well knew it was the fastest way to break past all of McCoy’s defenses and leave the omega writhing in his arms.

“Jim … _fuck_ that feels good …”

The link shared by the alpha and omega mates hummed with a familiar warmth and contentment that they hadn’t felt in a very long time. Jim mentally grimaced when he considered just how long it had been since he’d stolen time with his omega like this – at first, they’d taken every spare minute life in Starfleet could offer between shifts but after a while, the five-year mission had gradually overwritten their relationship and whatever alone time they managed had dissipated into short kisses, sleeping curled around one another or just waves of emotion sent along the bond.  Kirk smiled slyly and made up his mind to remedy that … as fast as was humanly possible.

“Computer … play Grace Kelly _Trying to Figure it Out_ …” Jim said before diving back in to suck a dark mark over his mating claim.

Bones struggled to put up _some_ sort of resistance but his alpha knew too damn well.  He was naked and somehow in the shower with a very aroused alpha pressing against him.  The steam wafted over him and the bright, clean scent he craved during his heats filled McCoy’s nose.  Sultry jazz purred in the background and Leonard gasped when he was suddenly full of Kirk’s cock – the alpha’s rapidly growing knot tying them together before he could even register his own desire.  When the hell had he gotten so slick?

“God, Bones … you’re so perfect …”

McCoy pushed back against his mate’s thrusts, sinking into a rhythm he knew too well and letting the heavy blanket of his omega mind space settle on him. He managed, “Mmm… so prove how much you appreciate that … _uhn …_ darlin’ …” Then the world seemed to fade away into only sensation and need.

* * *

Sometime later, Leonard found himself being dried off and shuffled into a clean uniform. He blinked owlishly as Jim worked his undershirt on and then helped him into his pants.  The alpha chuckled and framed McCoy’s face in his broad hands.

“Come on, Bones … come back to me now … that’s it, come up …”

McCoy blinked and inhaled deeply, pushing away the haze of subspace. He focused on the bright blue eyes in front of him and Jim’s soft voice urging him up from his cozy mental nest.  After a moment, he frowned and stumbled in place when sounds and scents rushed into his awareness.  Jim caught him easily and the omega pushed his alpha’s hands off but without irritation or anger.  He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Well _hell_ , Jim … that was …” Bones blew out a sharp breath before grinning at his mate.  “I haven’t dropped like that in … damn, how long has it been?”

Jim released one of his blinding smiles at his mate. He kissed the plump lips and exhaled.  “Too long, Bones.  Way too fucking long.”

It took them minutes to redress. Leonard came up behind his alpha and captain as the man stood in front of a full-length mirror.  He brushed the shoulders of the uniform smooth and gently ran fingers through the soft, blonde locks that fell so temptingly across the younger man’s brow.  The doctor rested his chin on Jim’s shoulder.

“Gonna tell me what’s got your wheels spinning?”

Kirk turned to press a kiss against his mate’s cheek. “Check my last log entry, Bones.  Gotta go.”

McCoy shook his head after watching his headstrong mate exit the room. Then he walked over to the desk and tapped in his code.  “Computer … play back captain’s last recorded log …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaack! And so are my boys and their lovely a/o relationship. I hope you enjoy where I take this because I really, really loved this movie, I don't care what the critics say La-La-La not listening! Love you all for reading and if you've never read the rest of my series, you might give it a whirl. And I hope this'll encourage me to finish "Dare".


	2. Introspection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In response to a comment thread from the previous chapter, a bit of clarification. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.  
> Kirk = Alpha  
> McCoy = Omega  
> Sulu = Alpha  
> Chekov = Omega  
> Uhura = Beta  
> Scotty = Beta

Jim sat in the darkened officers club and stared unseeing at his tumbler, his thoughts light-years away from the _Enterprise_.  He didn’t look up when the doors hissed open to admit his mate, McCoy.  The omega didn’t miss a beat, simply walked on in carrying a bottle.  He pressed a soft kiss to his alpha’s temple.  Jim inhaled the subtle but familiar smoky scent.  Tension bled from his frame.  Not enough but he felt a little less wired.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Leonard apologized. “Keenser’s leaking some kind of highly acidic green goo and Scotty’s _terrified_ he’s going to sneeze on the warp core and kill us all.”

Jim chuckled wanly. “Surprised that wasn’t _your_ first conclusion, Bones.”

The omega shrugged. “Faster than some methods of dyin’, I can tell you that.” He frowned at the bottle sitting in front of Jim.  “What the hell are you drinking?”

Jim looked at his glass as if seeing it for the first time. “Uh, I’m pretty sure it’s the rest of that Saurian brandy we picked up on Thasus.”

The fumes that hit Leonard’s nose when he inhaled the bottle neck made his eyes water. He frowned at his alpha.  “My God, man, are you _trying_ to go blind?”  He smirked at Jim’s unimpressed look before removing the tumbler and dumping its contents in the bar sink.  “That stuff’s illegal for a reason, darlin’.  Besides, I found this in Chekov’s locker.”  McCoy set the scotch on the bar top.

Jim examined the amber liquid and blew an impressed whistle. “Wow.”

“Right?” McCoy found three clean glasses. “I mean, I always assumed he’d be a –“

“Vodka man,” they finished together.

Leonard opened the liquor with a faint pop. “I wanted to have something appropriate for your birthday.”

Jim made a dismissive sound. “That’s in a couple of days, Bones.  You know I don’t care about that.”

Leonard nodded but poured anyway. “No one knows better than me how you don’t like celebrating on the day because it’s when your pa bit the dust.  This is me being sensitive.”

Kirk snorted. “Did you skip the bedside manner class in medical school, Bones?”

His omega winked at him. “Just my southern charm, alpha.”

McCoy set the glasses down and together, he and Jim clinked the third glass before tapping their own together. Blue eyes met hazel ones as they took a drink – and exhaled loudly.

“Oh Lordy,” Bones said hoarsely.

Jim echoed his omega’s sentiment. “Oh yeah … that’s _good_.”

Leonard leaned on the bar, not willing to let his alpha escape quite so easily. “Are you gonna call your mom?”

“Yeah, of course I’ll call her on the day.” Jim replied.

McCoy watched his mate. This time of year was always when they had the same verbal dance and it was never easy on Jim.  He’d grown up knowing he was the constant reminder to his mother of a lost mate.  Her attempt to replace George had resulted in one asshole stepfather.  Jim had compensated against it all by rebelling against _everything_.  Even his own nature.  Oh Leonard McCoy knew all too well the deep scars on his mate’s soul.  He _also_ knew and was constantly amazed by the depth of caring encompassed in his sunshine bright alpha’s lean form.  Somehow, in spite of everything, Jim had escaped the black hole of his past.  He’d beaten his own no-win scenario.  Bones chuckled inwardly.  It wouldn’t be Jim Kirk any other way.

His humor faded when a lonely ache permeated their link. The alpha’s scent shifted to something sad.

“I’m gonna be another year older, Bones,” Jim muttered.

“Yeah, kid, that’s usually how it works.”

“A year older than he ever got to be,” Jim said softly. “He joined Starfleet because he believed in it.” The alpha looked up at his mate.  “I joined on a dare.”

“You joined to see if you could live up to him,” McCoy said. He reached down and tilted his mate’s face up.  He thumbed away a glistening dot of moisture without comment.  “You’ve spent all this time trying to be George Kirk.  Now you’re wondering … just what does it mean to be _Jim_?  You’re wonderin’ why you’re out here.”

Jim blinked and a slow smile began to creep across his face. He pulled the omega toward him until their lips were a breath apart.  Jim growled softly.  “How the hell did I ever deserve you, Bones?”

“Mmmm, either my guardian angel was sleeping or yours was working overtime, darlin’,” Leonard teased.

Their lips brushed against each other. Jim kept the kiss soft, chaste and short.  He grinned at the faint sound of discontent it pulled from Leonard when he backed away.  The omega grunted in irritation, mumbling about ‘infants having existential crises’.  Jim chuckled and they parted for one last toast. 

“To good eyesight and a full head of hair,” Bones quipped.

Jim tapped his glass to his mate’s. “And to finding the someone who’ll love me even if I lose both.”

“Yeah, you keep thinking that, alpha,” McCoy replied. “You lose your looks and I’m finding me a young Deltan to see me through my golden years.”

Kirk laughed. “You know Deltans don’t have alpha/omega designations, Bones.  Besides, what makes you think _you’re_ going to keep your looks?”

The doctor leveled a finger at his captain. “First of all, I’ll have you know that _all_ the McCoy men have died with full, thick heads of hair and most of their original teeth.” He flipped non-existent locks over one shoulder.  “And _I_ take care of myself unlike some reckless, battery acid drinking alphas I could name … I’ll still be gorgeous long after you’ve gone to seed.” Leonard leaned in close and his scent spiked, filling the space with the smell of a content and aroused omega.  “But whatever gave you the idea that I’ll _ever_ want another alpha after you, darlin’?” He picked up Jim’s hand and laid it over the collar he wore.  A shiver raced down his spine.  “I’m going to die wearin’ your collar, alpha.”

Jim’s eyes flared red as he felt the connection they shared surge with warm affection that meant more to him than any boisterous declaration of love. He returned it, his own spike of arousal wafting up to make his mate’s eyes dilate.  Jim kissed his lover and best friend.  As they separated, Bones threw back the rest of his drink with a sly grin.

“Besides, Deltans believe that sexual intimacy should continue for as long as the physical body allows – and they don’t have any preconceived notions about age differences or physical beauty,” McCoy stated clinically. He timed his next comment.  “I can just find me a young stud and ride him off into the sunset.  What a way to go.”

Jim dragged in a ragged breath buoyed on several loud hacking coughs as the scotch burned across his windpipe. He glared at his omega while he gulped a deep draught of air to croak, “Thanks for that image, Bones.”

“Anytime, Jim.”

Spock called the captain to the bridge as they approached Yorktown. As they rode the turbo lift, Jim looked over at his mate.  “Let’s keep this birthday thing under wraps, huh, Bones?”

Leonard smiled easily. “Of _course_ … you know me:  Mr. Sensitive.”

* * *

Walking onto the bridge never failed to make Jim’s heart speed up a little. For the short time allowed him by Starfleet, this ship was his – the only lover he would ever want besides Bones.  He was truly fortunate that Leonard understood that – the omega never taunted him about his very obvious love for the vessel that carried them through the black every day.  In fact, he thought that Bones was actually beginning to develop his own fondness for the vessel.

Of course, that respect from McCoy didn’t mean his mate’s attitude about actually _being_ in space had changed one iota.

“What a damned monstrosity!” McCoy grumbled despite the impressed noises from the bridge crew over the Yorktown station suspended in planetary orbit, shimmering in the night. “Can’t we just rent some space on a planet?”

“Showing geographical favoritism among inducted Federation worlds could cause diplomatic tensions,” Spock explained.

Leonard snorted. “Oh you don’t think that looks tense?” He waved his hand at the display.  “Looks like a damn snow globe in space just waiting to break!”

Jim looked indulgently at his mate along with amused glances from the rest of the bridge crew. It was no secret that Leonard had a distinct discomfort about being on a starship.  He snapped off comments like these almost daily.  Jim just sighed.  “Well, _that’s_ the spirit, Bones.”

* * *

The station was enormous and it was hard to see everything at once. As the crew secured consoles, McCoy pulled Jim aside in the captain’s ready room.

“Bones …”

“Hush up and listen to me. You know I’m behind you 100% no matter what you decide to do, kid … right?”

Jim nodded. He pressed his hand to Leonard’s cheek and the omega leaned into the touch.  “I just – Bones, it’s your career too.  And I don’t know that they’ll reassign you here to the station.”

Bones stepped into his mate’s space, slotting their legs together and leaning close. “Jim, I’m happy as long as I’m with you.  If that means I have to resign my commission and take up a private practice here on the station, then that’s what I’ll do.  You know none of that folderol means anything to me – you bein’ happy is all that matters.”

Leonard’s comments often reminded Jim of something Christopher Pike had said to him not long before he was killed by Khan. Jim had just lost command of the _Enterprise_ and, in his despair, nearly sought comfort in someone else’s arms.  It would have ended everything with his mate and he still heard Pike’s warning from time to time.

_“Jim … don’t take your bond for granted. Leonard gave up everything to accept your claim — don’t make a fool of him.  You know better than anyone what can happen out there in the black.”_

Jim leaned in to claim his mate’s plush lips. His mate who had put everything on the line the first time he snuck Jim aboard the _Enteprise_.  His mate who had swallowed every fear he’d ever had about spaceflight and joined Jim aboard Starfleet’s flagship.  His mate who was his anchor even now when he felt completely adrift.

“How did I ever find you, Bones?” Jim asked, breathing against the other man’s mouth. “God, you’re perfect.”

“I’m gonna remember you said that.”

“Of course you are, Bones,” Jim said with a smile.

* * *

“Pleased with your current stud, Bones?” Jim asked smugly.

Bones wearily raised his head and arched an eyebrow down at his alpha. “Couldn’t resist, huh?”

“Nope. So how would you rate that, Bones?  Excellent?  Superb?  Oooh, how about ‘transcendental?”

McCoy rolled his hips while clenching down on Jim’s knot. The alpha’s eyes rolled back in his head when an orgasm caught him off guard, his jaw hung slackly open.

“Yeah, I’ll give you transcendental, kid,” Bones retorted.

Jim opened his mouth with a come-back and was formulating a movement that would send the omega spiraling into climax when his comm beeped. Jim rolled carefully to one side and tapped it.

“Kirk here.”

“Captain Kirk, you are urgently requested to join Commodore Paris in security.”

Jim faltered in responding. He was still tied to his omega and there wasn’t much option except to wait for the knot to subside.  McCoy suddenly spoke.

“This is _Enterprise_ CMO Leonard McCoy.  The captain is just finishing his post-mission medical review – he’ll be with you in 15 minutes.”

Security signed off. Jim shook his head.  “Bones, I can’t just _will_ it to go away and I’ll hurt you –“

“Darlin’, _hush_.”

McCoy reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his small portable med-kit which held a tricorder and two hypo-sprays. He pressed one to Jim’s neck and waited.  Jim’s eyes widened as he felt his knot receding.  After a moment, he was able to withdraw from Bones’ body sans any discomfort.  The omega got up and headed toward the ensuite bath.  McCoy looked back at Jim still sprawled on the bed.

“Well come _on_ … the commodore won’t wait for you all day,” Bones chided.

Jim jumped up and took a fast sonic shower while Bones brushed his teeth. He watched Bones pulling out his own planet-side grays while he dressed.

“Bones, how –“

The omega doctor snorted. “Jim, I am mated to the captain of a starship.  Do ya really think I didn’t prepare for the eventuality that you an’ me were going to be caught mid-knot on occasion?” He waved off his alpha.  “Go on, save the universe, kid.  I’ll pack up.”

Jim tipped Leonard’s chin up. “Bones, it’s probably nothing.”

His mate smiled. “Jim, it’s fine … not the first time.  I told you – I’m behind you no matter what.”

* * *

Jim was wondering about Fate when he walked into Security four minutes later and took a place beside Commodore Paris. The universal translator finished its analysis and the alien female behind the containment field began to explain what had brought her and her crippled craft to _Yorktown_.  The first words were so benign but as Jim would later berate himself … first impressions weren’t always right.

[We were on a science mission inside the nebula.]


	3. Attacked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who comments, I apologize for not answering. It's been a hectic few weeks. Just know that your words make me smile and encourage me to continue. 
> 
> Warnings: bit of a biting kink scene in this one.

Kirk stood in the commodore’s dimly lit office studying the data collected on the recently arrived ‘visitor’. The species wasn’t in Starfleet’s database but the computer had been able to find enough of a pattern in her speech to translate the tale of a devastating attack and a lone survivor desperate to find help.  As he looked over the projected images, Jim let part of his mind wander to the link he shared with Bones.  It was a habit he’d developed lately – letting his conscious mind process the constant stream of information thrust upon starship captains but allowing a small piece of himself to ground itself with his mate.  McCoy said it felt like they were mentally ‘holding hands’ and Jim supposed that’s exactly what they were doing.  He had no idea if all mates did this but he liked the sensation that Bones was only a breath away even if they were separated by miles.  The commodore’s velvet-soft voice brought Jim to focus.

“We tracked her stranded ship to a sector of uncharted nebula here at 2-1-0 mark 14,” Paris pointed out on the star chart.

Jim frowned and tapped the console in front of him. “Long-range scan?”

“No data. The nebula is too dense.  It’s uncharted space,” she replied.

Kirk pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “Well, the _Enterprise_ does have the best navigational system in the fleet.”  He looked up, knowing what course of action needed to be taken.  “She could handle it.”

Paris walked closer, considering. “The only ship here with more advanced technology is still under construction.”  She paused.  “But it’s not just the ship that I’m sending.”

Jim allowed a smile to ghost across his features. The commodore’s sensitivity was appreciated even if unnecessary.  He was a Starfleet captain and his crew was the best of the best.  Heading into the unknown was quite literally their job description. “I’ll gather the crew.”

“Captain,” she called, pausing Jim’s retreat. “Starfleet command sent me your application for the Vice Admiral position here at this installation.”

Jim tensed, caught between a sudden desire to be off on this new mission and the need to have this conversation. He clasped his hands behind his back and delivered what he hoped appeared to be a calm, considered response.  The faintest impression of Bones’ lips brushing over his nape came to him and the words slid out without hesitation. “Yes ma’am.  Um, if I may, I’d like to recommend Commander Spock replace me as Captain of the _Enterprise_.  He is an exemplary Starfleet officer.  He’d make a great captain.”

 _What the hell was that, Bones?_ Jim wondered, resisting the urge to run his fingertips over his neck.

If she noticed something amiss, Commodore Paris did not mention it. She simply regarded the young alpha before her with a steady, dark gaze.  The woman was an alpha as well and the innate power of the designation suddenly seemed to radiate from her very skin.  Jim was surprised to find himself wanting to drop his eyes to the deck below his feet.  Instead, he tugged on his link and was rewarded with a slightly annoyed emotion – the bond version of _What the hell do you want now, kid? Some of us have work, you know._ The familiar resistance comforted the alpha and the submissive urge faded.  The corner of Paris’ lips quirked briefly and her expression softened to something less confrontational and more understanding.

“It isn’t uncommon, you know, even for a captain to want to leave. There’s no relative direction in the vastness of space.  There’s only yourself, your ship, your crew.  It’s easier than you think, to get lost.”

Jim would later wonder if the commodore had intentionally chosen her words to antagonize him and test him in some way. Internally, he bristled at the implication that he was suffering some sort of existential crisis.  Then the conversation from the officer’s club came back to him and Kirk wondered suddenly when he’d stopped being able to conceal his personal conflicts.  As if on cue, McCoy’s emotions shifted within their bond and the alpha felt a sudden indignant burst.  If the doctor had been standing next to him, Jim had little doubt he would have heard, “Just who the hell does she think she is?  And why do you care what she thinks?”

Jim loved his growly, temperamental mate.

“With all due respect, commodore, it’s not about –“

Paris spoke over him, her eyes suddenly shuttering. “I’ll bring it up with the General Council.  We’ll discuss it when you return.”

Kirk returned the look with his own steady gaze, no longer tempted to show throat. He reached out along the bond and felt McCoy’s steady presence. 

_I’m behind you no matter what._

Pressing his lips tightly together, Jim gave a curt nod and took his leave.

* * *

Leonard didn’t even glance up when his office door slid open. Only Jim entered without notice.

“Don’t you _ever_ knock?”

The lack of response brought McCoy’s head up in concern and he found himself instantly ensnared by the fierce electric blue gaze of his mate. With a slow grin, Jim crooked his finger at the doctor.  Normally, that would earn the captain a dismissive snort but the warm air of the room had delivered the second blow to his omega – the scent of an aroused alpha.  Bones’ eyes were blown wide and he was in front of Jim before his brain realized he’d moved. 

“ _Jim_ –“

The alpha knew he only had a scant handful of minutes to accomplish his goal and he set about it with alacrity. Pinning Bones to the wall, Jim put Leonard’s arms over his head and growled, “Keep them there and don’t make a sound.” Bones’ eyes went even darker but he nodded ever so slightly and obeyed.  Jim flooded their link with his approval and watched the hazel eyes roll back as the omega’s brain released a wave of chemicals designed to send Leonard into his omega headspace.  Soft hints of cedar bloomed along the edge of Bones’ usual smoky liquor scent and Jim knew he had his mate exactly how he wanted him.

Jim released his mate’s wrists and shoved the uniform shirt and undershirt up to expose the lean muscles of Bones’ torso. He glanced at the chronometer on his mate’s desk before suddenly dropping down to sink his teeth into the soft flesh of McCoy’s side.  The omega’s head thumped hard against the wall as his body bowed out.  Jim watched as McCoy silently mouthed _alpha alpha alpha_ in his release.  The bond sang with the doctor’s pleasure igniting Kirk’s.  The alpha stood and claimed the gasping mouth as he pressed their hips together and joined his mate in orgasm.

Bit by bit, they came down, still locked together at the mouth. Somewhere, Leonard had buried his hands in Jim’s hair and now those fingers were carding gently through the blond locks as the omega released his mate’s lips.  Bones’ tenderly brushed his mouth over his captain’s forehead, cheeks, eyelids and settled to mouth softly at the jawline.  Kirk recognized the grooming gestures.  He allowed them to run their course because to interrupt could cause a bad ripple effect in Leonard’s omega headspace if his brain told him he’d disappointed the alpha.  After a moment or two they stopped and McCoy tipped his head back with a sharp exhale.

“God _damn_ , kid … you’re gonna end me doing that someday.”

Jim chuckled. “I doubt that.  You’re too stubborn.”

“And you dropped me because …?”

Jim grinned and ran his thumb over Bones’ lower lip. The man had a mouth that drove Jim wild.  The omega sucked the finger in obediently, his tongue laving over it.  Jim groaned but pulled away.

“We’re going after the lost ship,” Jim frowned. “And I don’t know why but something doesn’t feel right about this.”  He shrugged, toeing off his boots and jerking off his pants and briefs.

Bones rolled his eyes but did the same. It was a testament to how often Jim did this that they had spare uniforms at hand.  He opened the small storage closet set into the wall and pulled out a few sanitizing wipes.  A minute later, they both looked like nothing had happened and Jim was running a small dermal regenerator over the bite mark on Bones’ side.  The omega straightened his mate’s hair with another soft brush of fingertips.  For a moment, his forehead pressed to his mate’s, the two just breathed.

Then the captain breathed a kiss across Bones’ lips and strolled out the door. The doctor sighed, ordered the computer to recycle the air in his office and followed his warm sunshine-smelling alpha a moment later.  All part and parcel to life on a starship mated to the captain.

* * *

Jim settled in the captain’s chair. He looked around the bridge and took in the familiarity of it all.  Sulu and Chekov at the helm … Uhura at her comm station … Spock standing to his right … Bones usually somewhere behind him if he wasn’t needed in Sickbay … all parts well-trained and working within established parameters.  It helped his growing unease about this mission.  Jim looked over his shoulder. 

“Lieutenant Uhura, open a ship wide channel, please.”

With a graceful nod, the communications officer flipped her switches and a shrill whistle went out over the comm system. “Attention, crew of the _Enterprise_ … our mission is straightforward.  Rescue a crew stranded on a planet in uncharted space.  Our trajectory will take us through an unstable nebula – one that will disable all communications with Starfleet,” Bones had moved forward into Jim’s peripheral vision and he spied his omega running fingers over his collar as he did when he was stressed.  “We’re gonna be on our own.  The _Enterprise_ has something no other ship in the fleet has – you.  And as we’ve come to understand, there is no such thing as the unknown, only the temporarily hidden.”

The ship began its trip into the nebula. Kirk brushed against the link and watched as the doctor firmly crossed his arms without looking over at his mate.  Bones stood, looking as unbothered as ever, but Jim could feel unease beginning to creep into McCoy.  It was understandable.  The path was arduous as they picked their way through massive rocks several times the size of the _Enterprise_.  The impression was that they were flying into a thunderstorm – the darkness illuminated by static discharges set off by the constant collisions all around them.  Sometimes the view screen was filled with nothing but debris and it appeared they would crash but then, as if parting before the vessel, the clusters would separate and a clear way would appear.  Jim kept watch on his screen but glanced at his mate from time to time.  A steady rumble vibrated through the ship as the shields absorbed the shockwaves from each crash.  Jim refrained from trying to comfort McCoy again.  His omega would only stand so much ‘coddling’ as he put it.  If he pushed too hard, Leonard would probably give in because instinct would drive him to do so but Jim would earn himself a night or two on the couch.  Even after all their years together, Bones _hated_ being slave to his omega instincts and it took a lot of stress for him to seek comfort from his alpha.  It was frustrating but they were each stubborn in their own ways.

The alpha blinked when he felt a faint tug on the link. He raised his eyebrows at Bones and while the doctor was still looking at the view screen, he raised a shoulder ever so slightly.  Jim took the concession and sent his own confidence in crew and machine to make it through the nebula in one piece.

It was the right choice. The tight line across his mate’s shoulders softened visibly.  McCoy’s crossed arms unfolded to rest one crooked finger against his chin, almost thoughtfully.  Jim could sense his mate’s nerves but they weren’t screaming as shrilly as before.

“Keptin,” Chekov’s voice pulled him from his musings. “Readings indicate cloud density diminishing.”

The _Enterprise_ sailed out of the dense debris cloud and into clear space.  McCoy’s hands dropped to his sides.  Their ‘guide’ spoke up as a soft blue planet appeared before them.

“This is Altamid. My ship is stranded here.”

Spock took his station and began to scan. “Altamid.  Class-M planet.  Massive subterranean development but limited to no lifeforms on the surface.”

“Proximity alert, sir!” Chekov said abruptly. “We have an unknown ship heading right for us.”

Bones stood just behind his mate and he immediately dampened his scent to avoid distracting Jim. The alpha barked, “Lieutenant Uhura, hail them.”

“No response. I am picking up some kind of signal …” Uhura listened intently then turned toward Kirk.  “They’re jamming us.”

Jim was out of his seat in an instant. “Magnify, Mr. Sulu.”

The screen zoomed in and immediately, Jim’s eyes were struggling to follow the constant movement of the oncoming mass. He turned to face their visitor and snarled.  “What is this?”

She looked back at him blankly, her eyes revealing no indication that she understood him. He met Bones’ eyes before turning to face the front again and giving an order he hated. 

“Shields up! Red alert!  Fire at will!”

The oncoming ships seemed to be everywhere at once. And it was like a never-ending wave – phasers barely touched them and torpedoes had nothing to lock onto.

“Fire everything we’ve got!”

Spock admonished. “Captain, we are not equipped for this manner of engagement!”

“We don’t have a choice,” Kirk returned flatly.

“Captain! They took out the dish!  Shields are inoperable!” Sulu snapped.

Jim took his chair again. “Warp us out of here, Mr. Sulu.”

It was against his instinct to back down from a fight, but Starfleet had taught him that living to fight another day was a better plan. Especially with every soul on the ship depending on him.  He waited for the familiar _swoop_ in his gut that would tell him they were breaking free but it never came. 

“Why the hell aren’t we moving?!” Kirk snapped at his helmsman.

“I can’t engage the warp drive, sir!” Sulu protested, repeating the sequence again and again to no avail.

“Scotty! I need warp now!”

The engineer’s voice came back and it sounded harried and … deeply shaken. His words sent a cold chill through Kirk.

“I cannae, sir! The nacelles … they’ve … _gone_!”

Jim did not hesitate between one shocked breath and the next. “Security, engage all emergency procedures.  Active protocol 28 Code One Alpha Zero.  All personnel to alert stations.”

As the words left his mouth, Jim felt his mate touch their link. Again, phantom fingers brushed over his neck but when Jim looked over, Bones was headed to the turbolift.  Their eyes locked briefly as the omega took his place beside Spock.  McCoy would go to Sickbay to prepare for receiving wounded from what was mostly like going to be a close-quarters combat situation.

This was the life they’d chosen and neither of them would linger on the separation but they’d only parted in this manner a handful of times. Each one was carved into Jim’s memories and each one felt like this – part of his very being was being torn away.  He might not survive this encounter.  Bones might not survive the incursion by whatever aliens were attacking them.  This moment was all they would ever have if the worst came to pass. 

 _Bones._ Jim firmly filled the word with his love as he pressed two fingers against his chest over his heart – the place where his mating mark rested on McCoy. _Mine._

 _Jim_.  McCoy returned the emotion, his own hand pressing against the mark. _Yours._

The bond fell silent as neither could afford a distraction now. As the lift doors slid shut, Kirk noticed Spock arming a phaser.  A soft growl rumbled through his chest as he turned to face the threat.

 _Keep him safe, Spock,_ Jim thought.  _Because if the worst happens and one of these assholes hurts him … someone is going to take a very, very long time to die. Starfleet protocol be damned._


	4. Gray Lady Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else ever feel the connection the crew has with their ship TOS or AOS? Just curious . . .

It was like being caught in a flock of angry starlings; the alien vessels wheeled and spun around the Enterprise with terrifying speed. Jim could barely make out individual ships through the blur slashing past the bridge view screen.  The Enterprise gave a series of staccato jerks and Jim had to swallow the moan that threatened to break free.  He was sure Spock would have offered his sedate opinion on _that_ had the Vulcan been handy.  His first officer failed to grasp the physical connection Jim _swore_ he felt with his ship – he knew her moods, her limits and her idiosyncrasies.  She was as much a part of him as Bones and while _that_ connection Spock allowed, he staunchly proclaimed Jim’s insistence that the _Enterprise_ could feel as the human propensity to form overly emotional attachments to inanimate objects.

 _I’m so sorry, sweetheart,_ Jim thought as he gripped his chair arms. _Hang in there – I’ll figure out how to get us out of this._

Chekov turned to shout out an update. “Sir!  I have hull breaches to levels 12 to 15, 6, 9, 31 and 21!”

_They’re tearing her open._

Scotty’s voice came over the com, laced with desperation. “Captain!  There’s a chance I can reroute the energy reserves from the warp core to the impulse engines.”

Jim frowned. “If we can get back into the nebula, maybe we could lose them.” He pressed the button to reply.  “Do what you have to, Scotty!”

_Hold together, girl. Just a little longer._

Spock’s voice startled him a moment later. “Captain!”

Jim leaned forward, trying not to hear the obvious sounds of stress in the Vulcan’s voice. “Go, Spock!”

“I have identified the individual who appears to be leading the attack party. He infiltrated the archive vault and removed the artifact from our mission on Teenax.”

Jim barely kept himself from reaching along his bond when he heard weapons fire. Was his mate running alongside the Vulcan trying not to get shot? 

“Spock, hold your distance until . . .” The transmission suddenly ended in a burst of static. “Spock!”

That was it – Kirk knew he had no choice. He needed to confront this intruder.  Whipping around, he pointed at two of the ever-present security team.  “You two, with me.  Sulu, you have the conn.”

Sulu glanced at his own mate, Chekov. Their fingers brushed ever so slightly as Sulu rose to take the chair.  In the three years since their mating, they’d shared many adventures on the _Enterprise,_ none quite as desperate as this.  Chekov tapped his collar before returning to his console.  He knew exactly what was happening to the ship beneath their feet but his mate was only a few feet away from him.  He wondered how the captain felt separated by entire decks from his mate on a vessel that was coming apart even as they struggled to hold her together.

* * *

McCoy had tensed when the turbo lift slid open on a scene of destruction. His mind went into immediate healer mode and he nodded at Spock who raised his phaser.  Together, they slowly emerged from the lift.  After ascertaining the first cross-corridor was clear for the moment, Leonard pulled out his tricorder and began scanning for any survivors.  Spock moved farther down the hall, checking for intruders.

As a doctor, McCoy’s first trained instinct was always to help and heal if he could – unfortunately, that was also the instinct ingrained into his very DNA as an omega. It made moments like these, stepping gingerly around and over bodies of people he _knew_ , all the harder to endure.  Still, Leonard’s mama hadn’t raised him to shirk his duty nor to be a shrinking violet omega.  As he scanned the bodies, his tricorder picked up a faint sign of life.  He moved quickly to the ensign – Townsend, his brain supplied – and pulled out a full body scanner from his kit.  What it showed him made him curse in confusion and helplessness – the ensign’s internal organs were _disintegrating_.  Unable to do anything more, McCoy let his own omega scent spike – it was a technique his father had taught him.  An omega’s natural scent was calming to other humans who could detect it.  Townsend was human _and_ an alpha so he could easily pick up on Leonard’s scent under normal conditions.  By spiking, McCoy’s scent would reach the young man and hopefully help him relax even as his life ended … based on the flicker and slight twitch of his lips, Bones thought Townsend got the message.  The young man’s eyes went dim and fixed not long after so the doctor closed them.

“Damn it,” McCoy muttered to the silent corridor.

Half a heartbeat later, the scanner was blasted out of his hands. Spock came barreling around the corner, firing behind him.

“Doctor, we must evacuate now!”

Leonard was not inclined to argue with the Vulcan at that moment.

* * *

Jim rounded the corner and just barely managed to pull back when he realized he’d found the invasion party he was looking for. Signaling the security officers with him to take up flanking positions, Jim inhaled deeply and sent a covering shot as he raced across the corridor.  Security was able to take out a handful of the armored aliens before they fell.  Jim growled, his alpha instincts flaring.  He picked off the remaining soldiers but then he found himself slammed into a support column.  A vice-like grip closed around his neck and the alpha was brutally thrown into an opposite wall before being pulled down to face his attacker.  A totally alien visage stared up at him and studied him almost curiously.

“Captain … Kirk …”

Jim frowned in spite of his compromised position. From the being’s tone, it sounded almost like it knew him.  Before he could ponder over it too much, the entire vessel shuddered violently, knocking them both over.  Jim spotted the artifact sliding across the floor and he threw himself at it.  The deck tilted sharply but Jim kept his footing.

 _You’re like a damn mountain goat, kid …_ Jim heard one of Bones’ favorite grumbles about his mate’s uncanny balance play over in his mind. 

_Sorry for the bumpy ride, Bones._

He fought to keep his footing again as the _Enterprise_ jerked once more violently.  But this time, a grin toyed at the corner of his mouth because he knew the sensation well – Scotty had managed to get impulse up and running.  Jim ran a hand along the hull as he fled down the hall, the artifact gripped tightly in one hand.

_Come on, girl … get us out of here._

* * *

McCoy grunted as the _Enterprise_ suddenly decided to behave like a green horse on a training post and throw both himself and Spock into the far side of the corridor.  When they landed on the deck, the tilt was so sharp neither of them could keep their feet and fell onto the slick, polished surface.  Leonard clawed uselessly at the floor which was more like a slide now as he rocketed toward the end (bottom?) of the hallway.  A turbo lift waited and McCoy prayed desperately that it was still functioning or he and Spock were going to hit hard right before they became easy pickings for their pursuers.  Green disruptor energy sailed past his head and McCoy fought down a whimper.  Thankfully, the doors slid opened and shut just in time for him to hear two shots burst against the metal.

He waited with Spock but apparently the universe wasn’t done screwing with him. Another violent jolt plastered him against the side of the turbo lift along with the Vulcan – they shared a concerned look as the emergency braking system engaged.

“Do you think –“ McCoy began.

His heart skipped a beat when there suddenly wasn’t a turbo lift shaft surrounding them any longer. Instead, he was floating through space surrounded by bits and pieces of the _Enterprise_.  Although his fear of ‘dying in something that flies’ was better, it was far from cured.  Far, _far_ from cured.  Hell, he could barely stand looking out the viewports some days. 

 _This is going to be my coffin and I’m going to share all eternity with a green-blooded hobgoblin. How the hell is this my life?_ Leonard thought miserably as he spread his arms wide to prevent himself from slamming around the interior of the tube.  He looked out the window and gasped.  The _Enterprise_ was falling toward the planet’s surface and she was dying.  The fatal blow was visible – the swarm had cut her in half. _Jim …_

Leonard grumbled habitually about his mate’s fondness for the _Enterprise_ – there were days when Jim would run fond fingers over a console or maybe just the hull plates in his own quarters and at first McCoy had felt twinges of actual jealousy.  At least until the Khan incident when he’d come to understand that the emotion encompassed so much more than just attachment to a collection of bolts and metal.  It was everything that made Jim the captain he was – his devotion to his crew down to the lowliest ensign and his love for the ship that cradled them within her as they explored the universe with all its dangers.

The _Enterprise_ took care of her own.  He had to believe that even now, as she floundered, torn asunder, that she would find a way to bring Jim back to him safely.  McCoy’s eyes stung sharply. 

_I’m sorry, beautiful. Take care of him, please._

He reached out to the bond but held himself back. He couldn’t risk distracting Jim in such a dire moment.  If his mate had been injured or killed, he would know.  The silence that had filled their link after the incident with Khan was an ever present source of Leonard’s nightmares so he was confident that Jim was at least relatively uninjured physically.  When the alpha saw what had been done to his ship … well, they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.  The omega brushed his hand over the collar and then down over his mating mark.  He looked over at Spock just in time to find himself slammed yet again into the walls of the turbo lift capsule.  One of the alien ships had latched onto them. 

* * *

Jim stumbled and fell as his ship pitched wildly from side to side. Systems were failing if he was feeling the _Enterprise’s_ movements so clearly through her decks.  Something was seriously wrong and he had to find out what.  Again, making use of his copious training in walking drunk, Jim managed to reach a com panel.

“Kirk to bridge!”

Chekov groaned. “We are losing the inertial dampeners!”

Sulu broke over his mate’s voice. “Systems are failing ship-wide, Captain.  Emergency bulkheads are sealing but structural integrity is at 18% and falling, sir!”

Another shudder ran through the _Enterprise_ and Jim felt something crack in his heart.  He closed his eyes and pressed his hand against the hull just beside the panel.

“Abandon ship, Mr. Sulu.”


	5. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone still reading this -- or really ANY of my fics. 2016 was so long and I felt like I was being led to the gallows the entire time. 2017 is not looking much better and so my writing has inevitably suffered. Comments/kudos/hits ... all make me smile. Love you to all.

_Abandon ship, Mr. Sulu …_

Leonard McCoy knew pretty much all there was to know about the basic biological connection that occurred between alphas and omegas when a mating bond formed. He was more than familiar with the physical changes that took place in both partners making their bodies compatible and ensuring that procreation would happen.  And while it was still beyond medical science to explain, the emotional link that frequently formed was nothing new to him and he’d helped many newly mated shipmates navigate it easily.  In fact, although he would never mention it to anyone, Dr. Leonard H. McCoy was considered one of four renowned experts on the biology of human alpha/omega mating in the entire _Federation_.  Hell, a couple of his papers on the topic were required reading at the Academy.

But in all his born days, McCoy had never once heard of a full-blown _telepathic_ bond forming between an alpha and an omega.  Yet here he stood in a turbo-lift being taken God-knew-where by yet another alien race hell-bent on making his life a fucking misery and his mate’s voice had just been clear as day in his head. 

“Jim?”

Spock’s attention was pulled from observing the patterns of the ships attacking the _Enterprise_ by a hoarse whisper from Dr. McCoy – the name of his mate and their captain.  The Vulcan immediately concluded that fear had overwhelmed the omega at the sight of their vessel torn asunder and floating helplessly while the alien ships continued their assault with McCoy's mate aboard. Not to mention the fact that they were in open space in a device not designed for long-term life support nor safe atmospheric entry to the planet below.  For this particular human, the response was typical but unhelpful.

Spock braced himself and used the only tool at his disposal ... logic. He was very familiar with the doctor's tendency toward emotional extremes and his biting derision of Spock's previous attempts to apply logic in various stress-laden situations but he had no time to formulate an alternative strategy.

“The captain is very resourceful, Dr. McCoy," Spock assured his companion. "I am sure that he –“

“Damn it, Spock, shut the hell up! I’m trying to figure out if I’m losing my fucking mind here!”

Spock quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected response. “Doctor, if you suspect that your mental faculties are unstable, perhaps you are not the most objective –“

McCoy was no stranger to Spock's 'calming' techniques. Their debates on Human emotion versus Vulcan logic on board the _Enterprise_ were nigh on legendary and McCoy's vocal volume often rose in direct proportion to whether or not he was winning said debate. In this instance, however, he didn’t bother with shouting.  Instead, he pinned the Vulcan with a hazel glare that brooked absolutely no dissension and held up his index finger to ensure his point was made.  Leonard felt a brief spike of perverted glee that Spock fell instantly silent even though his eyebrow remained elevated.  But he had no time to relish the moment; he had to determine if he'd truly connected with Jim or if his overtaxed mind had conjured it up as a defense mechanism.

McCoy knew he couldn’t force this so instead he focused on a piece of debris just in his sight. It was small and charred but only moments ago it had been part of a lovely greater whole.  His fingers drifted to his collar of their own accord … and a familiar presence surged into his mind making Leonard's heart thump madly in his chest.

_Bones ... ?_

_Jim!_

Shock resonated through the omega and he scrambled to latch onto the threads. He nearly had a hold when reality intruded in the form of a pale Vulcan all but tossing him against the far side of the lift.  Jim's voice disintegrated and McCoy couldn’t help but snarl at the man.  His anger gave way to uneasiness as a series of metallic clanks sounded on the other side of the lift wall.  The side pressed against the alien ship that held them.  “Well, _that_ doesn’t sound good,” McCoy muttered.

Spock ignored the doctor’s statement of the obvious and took hold of the lift frame over his head. He curled his body so that he could deliver a kick with maximum force.  As the banging grew in volume, Spock said, “The investigation into your sanity will have to wait, Dr. McCoy – I need your assistance in overpowering our captor.”

 A dizzying wave of affection washed over the omega and suddenly Leonard McCoy was filled to the brim with a fierce determination to survive this day and see his sun-bright alpha again.  He might not have been the reigning Academy hand-to-hand combat champion that his mate was, but Leonard could hazard a guess that these ship-jacking pirates had never faced a true born and bred Southerner when he was good and mad. The omega braced himself, raised his hands and faced the wall just in front of Spock. 

"Come on, you bastards ... this Georgia boy'll show you how it's done."

* * *

  _Abandon ship, Mr. Sulu_ . . .

The words tasted like ash on Jim’s tongue. He heard his ever-efficient helmsman give the order to sound the alarm.  Soon his crew would, to a man, enter the escape pods and depart the ship they’d called home for so long.  He leaned heavily on the bulkhead, feeling his ship shuddering in her death throes.  The impassive voice of the ship’s computer began to chant.

[ALL PERSONNEL. ABANDON SHIP.  ALL PERSONNEL.  ABANDON SHIP.]

Jim exhaled sharply. God, he wished Bones was with him instead of _somewhere_ with Spock.  Moments like these he sometimes wished he wasn’t mated because no matter how extensive his Starfleet training, instincts older than mankind were constantly straining to surface.  Instincts that demanded he find and protect his omega.  Instincts that assured him said omega’s safety could only be achieved by him as mate, protector and provider.  Of course, thankfully Jim’s rational mind was a wee bit stronger than his hindbrain.  Other omegas might gratefully run into their alpha’s arms but _his_ omega would probably clock him and then proceed to rip him a new one.  Jim felt utterly helpless as the klaxon sang down the empty corridor.  He took a deep breath.  No time to wallow in grief, he was still captain of the _Enterprise_.

“We need to give those pods a chance to escape – can you lead those ships away?” Kirk asked Sulu.

The younger alpha made a frustrated sound. “Impulse engines are still trying to draw power from the warp reserve.  We cannot move until the saucer is separated.” 

“I’ll handle it,” Jim replied flatly.

Sulu seemed to sense the finality in his captain’s statement because the alpha’s affirmation of his captain’s declaration held deep pain. Jim had little doubt that the man was as grief-stricken as himself.  After all, it was Sulu that had guided the _Enterprise’s_ wings through the black.  If he were on the bridge, Jim was certain he would have seen suffering in all the command crew.  They were each connected to their lady in a unique way.  Uhura listened and gave voice to what she heard.  Scotty walked her frame and kept careful watch over her heart.  Chekov plotted safe paths for her to follow.  Spock kept careful watch over her captain’s brashness.  And Bones … well, whether the omega realized it or not, the _Enterprise_ loved him best because Bones did what no one else could – he kept the entire barking mess of diverse individuals safe, sane and relatively happy.  His gruff, no-nonsense manner fooled no one because in his heart of hearts, Jim’s omega was a healer and he would always take care of them.  And what was a ship without a crew?

Jim looked down at the artifact in his hand. It was the reason the _Enterprise_ was dying … the reason her _crew_ was dying.  But why?  What could --- the alpha’s eyes suddenly glazed over.  He wasn’t looking at the artifact any longer.  He was staring at the debris scattered around his ship visible through the viewport of a – turbo lift?  Confusion flared but then another presence filled his mind.  A presence he adored above all others.

_Bones … ?_

_Jim!_

Kirk startled back into awareness in time to hear a loud groan of metal giving way and to see three crewmembers come tumbling down the sloping deck to fetch up hard against the bulkheads. He blinked in shock.  His mate was capable of amazing things but just how in the ever-loving  _hell_ had Bones managed to create a telepathic connection between them?!?  It was a mystery Jim had no time to ponder.  With a deep ache in his gut, the alpha forced his longing aside and sent a tight but honest burst of love through their normal link before moving across the corridor to see to his crew, one of who was injured from the impromptu acrobatics brought on by a wildly bucking ship. 

"Quick, we've got to get you to an escape pod," he urged, helping them to get the hurt man on his feet. He shoved two of them none-too-gently toward the pods on their level. "Go on! Go!"

But the alpha grabbed the third crew member, an alien from a race that escaped his mind at the moment. Her cranial appendages, however, had his full attention.

"Ensign Syl," Jim said earnestly. "I need your help."

The young female turned a guileless face to him and straightened. "Yes, sir."


	6. Intensity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys get a feel for their new method of communication and it results in some deep emotions. This is just an interlude because my muse just doesn't like this part ... apologies if it doesn't move the story forward much, I hope the next chapter will start in on some juicier bits.

A hole opened up in the side of the turbo lift and before their abductor could react, Spock’s boots landed solidly against the creature’s armor knocking it back within the ship. Leonard followed the Vulcan into the vessel hands clenched into fists … only to find himself staring wide-eyed down a rifle barrel.

 _Oh shit_.

McCoy threw himself against the side of the vessel as the gun discharged a blast of bright green energy. The temporary access port slammed shut and the doctor realized that, for better or for worse, they were now both trapped in the ship with an alien species that had proven its aptitude for ‘overkill’.  It warmed Leonard somewhat to see Spock steal a second’s worth of time to make sure the shot hadn’t hurt the omega before savagely slamming the alien’s arm into the bulkhead repeatedly.  The rifle broke free from the creature’s grip and it turned its attention to pummeling Spock with painful-sounding blows to the torso.  Wincing in sympathetic pain, Leonard desperately scanned the interior of the ship looking for something … _anything_ … to stop the attack.  Spock’s Vulcan physiology was hardier than a human’s but McCoy’s trained hearing told him things were going to give sooner rather than later if the beating continued.

Just as Leonard began to prepare himself to wade into the fray to help the commander, his gaze landed on the vessel’s hatch overhead – and he was standing next to a simple toggle lever. McCoy was no pilot and everything in the ship was labeled in a language he couldn’t even begin to understand but the omega recognized a damn doorknob when he saw one.  A second later, the air was knocked out of him by Spock and his opponent, pinning him against the lever.  Leonard grunted and clamped a hand around Spock’s arm.

 _Time for one of your tricks, kid_ , McCoy thought as forced his hand between his side and the lever.

Pushing down with all his weight, Leonard felt it slide into place and the hatch slid open. With a deafening hiss, the ship’s atmosphere escaped and sucked the unanchored alien soldier into the vacuum with it.  McCoy had a brief terrifying moment where he believed he was about to follow when a sensor somewhere in the damnable ship registered the open hatch and promptly closed it inches from McCoy’s face.  Breathable air filled the vessel as the previously inescapable outward pull vanished and the two Starfleet officers tumbled onto the deck.  Spock took most of Leonard’s weight with a startled groan.  For all that he complained about and to the Vulcan, McCoy felt a tangible stab of regret as he crashed onto Spock.  Leonard said a quick prayer that he hadn’t caused any further serious damage but the omega could only squeeze Spock’s shoulder as he pushed himself upright.  Starfleet training told the doctor he needed to assess their situation quickly.

Eying the unfamiliar saddle-like control column, Leonard clambered onto it and took hold of the handlebar steering mechanism.  It took him a minute but the omega remembered the lessons Jim had given him back on Earth using his own restored, vintage motorcycle. The concept seemed to be the same.  Using his own body weight, Leonard steadied the ship.  It was then that he looked out the main view port. A cold, sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

"My God," McCoy hissed. He looked down at his companion.  "Spock!  They're taking the crew!"

The Vulcan's expression came as close to horrified as McCoy believed it could.

* * *

Jim stumbled through the corridors of his ship accompanied by the eerie echo of the ship's computer urging all crew members to evacuate. The once brightly lit halls were dim and illuminated by red emergency lighting, casting the entire scenario in an appropriately hellish light with the requisite dark shadows. Kirk cursed when the deck surged yet again beneath his feet, making him lose forward momentum as he fought to maintain his balance. Instinct overrode reason and Jim reached out to the newborn link.

_Bones?_

It was disorienting, running through the _Enterprise_ while trying to touch his mate's mind. Vertigo struck hard and Jim nearly crashed into the frame bordering the entrance to the corridor he needed. Letting go of the link, Kirk pushed off the wall and continued down the hall. A moment later, a feeling of desperation not his own flowed into Jim's mind. Instead of setting him on edge, the sensation managed to center the alpha.

_Jim?_

_Oh thank God ... Bones ... where are you?_

_Nevermind me, what the fuck are you still doing on that ship?!?_

It took every bit of Kirk's Starfleet training not to laugh out loud. _God I love you._

_Then prove it, you fucking lunatic! Get the hell out of there!_

Jim sent a firm wave of his love through the link. _I have to separate the saucer, Bones._

The deep, aching despair that filtered through was quickly silenced but neither of them had enough skill with the new link to do the same to their thoughts.

_Alpha ... God, kid … please don’t leave me alone …_

Leonard quickly cut himself off but Jim knew his omega went through this every time he put himself in danger. It was just the first time Kirk had actual heard his mate’s misery.

_I'm not planning on going anywhere, Bones. I have to give the crew a chance, babe. I have to._

_I hate you._

_No you don't, Bones._

_I hate you and I hate this._

Jim pressed harder on the impossible link and found himself seated in one of the alien vessels trying desperately to navigate through the continuing onslaught. His eyes – no, _McCoy's_ eyes – stung with tears. Jim felt his mate blinking rapidly in a losing battle with his emotions. Jim concentrated and sent the sensation of his knuckles slowly rubbing against the doctor's temple. He smiled when he felt Leonard nuzzle back against the touch.

_This is who I am, Bones. I'm so sorry to hurt you._

_Then don't._ The reply was a soft plea straight from his mate's heart and Jim felt like a knife had just sliced through his soul.

 _Bones ..._ Jim sent helplessly.

 _Fuck this. Fuck you.  I know you gotta do this … I know it.  I just –_ A hand brushed at the tears. _Go on … do what you have to but I swear to every deity I know and all the ones I don’t – if you don’t come back to me, I’m coming after you and I_ will _kick your ass, kid._

The demand came on a wave of love so intense; Jim gasped as the air left his lungs. McCoy was a man of many words, all colorful and uniquely Leonard. But when it came to the one thing that bound them together no matter what trials they faced, the verbose omega would fall silent enough to make a Vulcan monk die of envy.  Instead, McCoy relied on the emotional connection between alpha and omega to speak for him when words failed.  It was, as ever, more eloquent than anything a thousand poets could compose and it left Jim in awe of its power.

 _Wouldn’t have it any other way, Bones._ The words were teasing and light. The emotion Jim wrapped around them was not.  The collar Leonard wore symbolized his willing submission to his alpha and he’d proven just how deep that submission ran during the Khan incident.  It was a lesson seared into Jim’s soul.  For the moment, they let the link fall silent and Jim continued his race through the _Enterprise_.

* * *

Skidding to a halt, Jim slapped his palm down for authorization to release the control cluster at the juncture between the saucer section and the rest of the _Enterprise._ Taking hold of the grips, he pulled back with a grunt, exposing the entire column that would have to be rotated to engage the system and begin the separation process.  As soon as it was seated in the extended position, Jim began to unfold and lock the grips.  He’d managed to open two when laser fire forced him away from the console.  The alpha scrambled for cover as the shots chased him and forced him to change direction.  He realized he was being herded about the time an iron grip closed around his uniform shirt and yanked him off his feet.  Jim’s brain registered the alien he’d fought in the corridor as he was slammed into the bulkhead and then tossed across the platform like he weighed nothing.  His body offered up several loud and painful complaints when he hit the opposite wall and fell a good eight feet to the deck.

 _Fuck, that’s gonna leave a mark._ Jim thought as he struggled to his feet.   His next concern was, unsurprisingly, the reaction his ever-protective mate was going to have to all his new bumps and bruises.  He had a feeling it would cause the being currently using him as a punching bag no small consternation to know he was more afraid of McCoy’s razor-edged tongue than any army of creatures determined to eradicate him.  Spitting out blood, Jim pushed himself upright and dove for the artifact case now skittering away on the deck.  He snatched it up and cradled it against his chest before ducking another blow and unashamedly crawling beneath the safety rails.  Jim mentally sighed.

_Bones is gonna kill me … if this guy doesn’t do it first._


	7. Escaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter to keep things moving until my muse talks to me again.

The _Enterprise_ spiraled toward the planet's surface.  Jim ran haphazardly down the corridor as both he and the inertial dampeners struggled to maintain some vague idea of up and down.  During a particularly vertigo-inducing dip, Jim clung to the safety rails for dear life.  When the ship righted itself, Kirk found tenuous footing to continue his run. He mused on just how often his ship was crippled and spinning in space which prompted an idea -- have engineering add handholds to the ceilings and floors on every deck.  Scotty would get it.  Bones probably would too even if he'd make some sort of acerbic comment about the idea first.

His lady managed to straighten herself out enough to let Jim find his footing on the still wildly pitching deck.  The alpha scrambled back onto the catwalk and made for the saucer separation control panel.  Uhura's shapely frame brought Jim up short and he realized the beta was working to complete the separation process.  Jim sent a silent thank you to whatever god was listening that he had such an amazing crew.  To a being, they would never stop fighting to save their ship.  And why wouldn't they?  She was more than just a temporary place to sleep -- she was home more than any planet. 

Unfortunately, Jim's pause gave his attacker time to catch up to the captain.  In one swift movement, the alien pulled Jim's legs out from under him and tossed the alpha none-too-gently onto his back.  Jim pulled himself upright but the alien roared and launched himself directly at his prey.  Jim shouted as they slammed into the railing and then momentum was sending them over the edge to the level below.  Pain seemed to suffuse every one of Jim's cells as they crashed into a maintenance hub sending plas-glass everywhere.  Instinctively, Jim rolled following the impact and came to rest just outside the control center.

With a snarl, the captain forced his body to stand yet again.  Electric blue eyes his mate loved were dark and edged with red - Jim's alpha had surfaced along with all the basic instincts to defend territory.  His hands curled into claws and a low growl escaped Kirk's throat.  This interloper had all but destroyed the _Enterprise_ ; had killed innocent crewmembers and forced the rest to abandon ship to an unknown fate.  Beyond all this, however, was the fact that the alien now pointing a weapon at him with a clear shot and intent to kill had endangered  _McCoy_.  

Uhura saw the crimson bleeding into Jim's eyes.  It was rare that he lost control but Jim had been pushed to his utmost limit.  His ship was, for all intents and purposes, dead in space.  And his mate ... Uhura sent a silent prayer that McCoy was safe somewhere on the planet with Spock.  Her heart ached for all that they would never share but Nyota thought perhaps Spock would understand her logic if he survived to look back and dissect this mission.  After all, if the survivors of the attack had any hope at all it lay in their captain.  The needs of the many ...

" _Sochya, t'nash-veh ashaya."_

Uhura's fingers danced across the control panel.  Commands traveled through circuits clinging to the barest of power threads and the saucer sealed itself off.  Couplings tying it to what remained of the ship blew and the main column fell away, forever separated from the _Enterprise_.  Green energy beams ricocheted uselessly off the sealed airlock doors before the alien tossed his weapon aside with a frustrated growl and tore open the small container he'd fought so viciously for -- only to find it empty.  A rather human-sigh of disgust escaped the being and Uhura wished she could melt into the decking when his flat gaze landed on her.

* * *

Jim's rage dissipated in a rush as he stared at Uhura through the airlock viewport.  Her eyes were a painful mix of fear and determination.  It was a blend he'd seen more than once in someone convinced they were about to die but who would not be swayed from their course of action.  The knowledge that his trusted communications officer had just saved his life was little solace since her own would be in jeopardy the minute his little deception was discovered.  Jim ran a hand over his face.  Starfleet Academy taught entire semesters on losing crewmembers.  However, they did not really prepare a person for the burden of life following someone sacrificing their existence for you.

It went without saying that if Uhura did not survive, he would have a grief-stricken Vulcan on his hands.  Spock could play the unaffected lover all he wanted -- Jim knew the man was in pain over their separation.  With a hard exhale, Jim shoved the worry to the back of his mind.  He had a job to do yet if Uhura's sacrifice was to be worth anything.  Moving to a weapons locker, Jim armed himself and headed toward the bridge.  He reached out along the link.

_Bones?_

For a moment, there was only silence in Jim's mind, but then he felt as if strings tugged at his brain.  A wave of irritation flowed over him when he shook his head to relieve the mental itching situation.

_Damn it, kid, quit that.  You're makin' me dizzy._

In his purloined ship with Spock, the omega drew in a sharp breath when a phantom mouth claimed his own.  McCoy could feel the tongue move along the more sensitive parts of his mouth.  It was a struggle not to moan and try to kiss Jim back.  Smug heat drifted through the link.

_Of course you're figuring out just how far we can push this -- that brain of yours got any other surprises?_

Silence filled the link, then McCoy was washed over by pained guilt.

_Uhura ... she's with the monster that did this.  I couldn't get to her in time._

Bones glanced back at his companion.  Spock was intent on the alien ship's readouts and hadn't even noticed McCoy's movements.

_She alright?_

Jim's uncertainty was loud and McCoy gave a mental snort.

_If you'd have been on the other side of that door, you know you would have done exactly the same thing, Jim.  That girl is a hell of a lot tougher than she lets on ... you watch, we'll get planetside and Nyota'll be their queen or something._

McCoy listened to his own heartbeat for a moment before he felt the smile behind invisible lips that brushed against his own.  _Where are you, Bones?_

_Tumbling all over hell and back ... we have one of their ships.  Looks like that swarm is still on your ass.  No one noticed us go by._

Jim sent another silent thank you to the universe.  _Get to cover as soon as you land, Bones.  I'll find you.  Spock knows --_

 _I_ did _pay attention at the Academy_ , _captain.  Me and the hobgoblin will be fine.  You worry about you._

Only because Jim knew his mate so well did he pick up on the falter in McCoy's mental 'voice'.  Despite three years and an untold number of hours in therapy, the Khan incident still rippled through their relationship.  It was always worse when they were separated.  Forcing his response to be lighthearted, Jim filled the link with reassurance and love.

_It's just another patented Kirk landing, Bones._

Jim could almost _see_ the rolled eyes and stern finger pointed at him.  _Don't dilly-dally once you've sent everyone else off, kid.  You get your ass in that pod._

Jim filled the link with fierce affection for his mate.  His omega knew his alpha had no choice but to care for his crew first, regardless of their bond.  But that wouldn't stop him from demanding what was his right as mate, lover and best friend -- that the captain of the _Enterprise_ also do all he could to stay alive.  Jim's eyes stung even as he sniped in return.

_Bossy omega._

_Hard-headed alpha._

Romantic prose would never be their strong point but in the cold darkness of space, what they had was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As near as I can translate using Google, Uhura says "Peace, my love."


	8. Bumpy Landings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short update just to let you know I haven't forgotten this one.

Jim moved onto the bridge of the _Enterprise_ with his phaser held at the ready.  His movements were slow and wary, the very nature that made him an alpha struggling to overwhelm his rational mind.  He cataloged the situation swiftly as he'd been trained.  Invaders he'd dispatched littered the deck beside the lifeless bodies of the security guards they'd killed.  Scattered bridge officers remained at their posts even though they only had half a ship to monitor.  Jim's eyes narrowed into luminous slits at the mysterious alien woman who'd sent his crew on this debacle in the first place.  He wasn't sure why but she was setting off warning bells in his head and it took everything he had to dismiss her presence for the moment.  Other priorities needed to be attended to -- his crew's safety first and foremost.  After that, he wanted five minutes alone with Bones -- enough time to lose himself in the omega's scent and physically confirm for himself that his mate was unharmed.  Jim turned away from the female with a soft snarl as his Alpha leaked through.  God help her if she was behind this debacle.  No amount of Starfleet training would stop him from making her pay.  As it was, Jim knew he was going to be sorely pressed to be diplomatic over the watching an unknown race decimate his crew and his ship.  As Spock would have observed, he _was_ only human.  Jim cast a flat look at the man currently sitting in his chair.

Sulu had received the same Starfleet training as his captain.  He was no less an alpha but numerous courses had covered the protocol  understood that human alphas working together could clash in violent ways under stress.  The young helmsman took in Jim's body language and instinct told him his captain was on the very edge of an Alpha rage.  Sulu made brief eye contact before moving away from the captain's chair, ceding command back to Kirk.  The navigator then telegraphed his intent and walked to the helm, his hand closing on his mate's shoulder.

Hiraku smiled down at his beautiful omega and was more relieved than he thought he could be to see that smile returned.  The soft, cherubic features were covered in dust and small abrasions but the eyes sparkled with Pavel's indomitably fierce spirit.  Sulu ran slender fingers over the collar he'd locked around Chekov's neck on their mating day and thrilled to the omega's soft sigh.  The scent of calm spiked from Pavel and Sulu was glad to see some of the tension bleed out of Jim's frame.

"How many of the crew are still aboard the saucer?" The captain asked.

Sulu moved quickly into his seat and pulled up the scans.  "None."  He frowned at his display.  "But if I'm reading this correctly, the intruders are taking them."

Jim nodded.  "I know.  Chekov, what's our sit-rep?"

Chekov swallowed hard.  "Keptin ... we are caught in the planet's gravity ... we cannot  pull away."

Jim looked out the main viewscreen at the rapidly approaching planet.  His ship.  HIs crew.  So much was going to be lost to this day ... a sharp pain lanced through Jim's neck and he winced.  The discomfort was familiar; he'd been on the receiving end of the doctor's hypo spray too many times not to recognize it.  His mind cleared and with a sharp exhale, he ordered, "Get to your Kelvin Pods."

Jim stood and watched through the view screen as his ship plummeted into the upper atmosphere of the planet.  The deck beneath him bucked with turbulence but the alpha barely noticed as he shifted to stay balanced.  The sounds of escape pods being jettisoned to an unknown fate reached him only peripherally until they finally stopped.  For a moment, Jim was alone with his ship dying around him.

A presence suddenly made itself known to the young captain.  Even separated by who knew how many miles, Jim's omega was a force of nature that would not be denied.  Love rode the forefront of the wave but behind it was just ... Bones.  All of the wide open black couldn't contain what Jim felt in that instant.  More than mere comfort, Leonard's presence was succor and sheer determination all rolled into one sarcastic, sharp-tongued man.  A man who had never wanted to be on this crazy voyage in the first place but had done it just to be with _Jim._  

"God I love you," Kirk murmured to an empty bridge. 

After a moment of concentration, Jim figured out how to let his mate 'see' through his eyes as he entered the escape pod and took a long last look at the _Enterprise's_ bridge.  He felt the connection shift between himself and Bones.

_A lady always knows when to leave, alpha.  Let her go._

With a faint hiss as its only warning, the Kelvin pod launched and Jim kept his gaze forward.  As he cleared the hull, the alpha watched the _Enterprise_ saucer fall away below him.  He winced as it skimmed the mountains and the treetops, leaving a path of debris behind it.  She finally crashed into a fortuitously placed meadow, her forward edge plowed up dark soil and plants until momentum finally surrendered and the disc fell back with a low groan.  The pod's safety parachute deployed and Jim's descent came to a near halt before resuming at a slower pace.

Jim reached out gently along the link.  His mind sought nothing more than the familiar warmth of his mate's presence as they'd shared over the duration of their relationship.  It was a horrific shock, then, when an almost physical sting accompanied the sudden absence of their link.

_"Bones!"_

The Kelvin pod drifted lazily to the planet's surface as Jim screamed into the void in his mind.

* * *

It was no secret to anyone who'd known the man for longer than a day that CMO Leonard McCoy hated transporters and barely trusted anything that flew including the _Enterprise_.  He could expound in great length on the extreme dangers inherent in both modes of traveling from Point A to Point B.  What very few people knew was that Leonard was actually a fair pilot ... and had been long before he met one James T. Kirk, thank you very much.

Jim had never been able to get the story behind McCoy's skills out of his mate and the doctor intended to keep it that way.  He'd grown up in unusual circumstances for an omega in Georgia and Leonard hadn't seen any reason to waste a chance to learn.  He'd essentially learned that not being on solid ground terrified him but he'd also gained a valuable, if little-used skill.  Enough to get him through his required flight training at the Academy and to help his then best friend fail the Kobyashi Maru simulator more than a few times. 

Of course, all this had been on Federation technology.  In the driver's seat of an alien spaceship, Leonard found himself piloting on 100% instinct, prayer and - he hoped - Jim's fabled luck.  The planet's gravity had snagged them and it was all he could do to keep the nose up and the vessel parallel to the ground.  In the end, a rocky ravine served as a less than desirable landing strip.  McCoy separated himself from Jim seconds before impact knowing it was a cruel thing to do but whatever survivors remained of the crew would need a captain.  Not a feral alpha who'd just experienced his mate's demise.  The dark irony of the situation did not escape McCoy as the ship ground along the riverbed at the bottom of the small canyon before it came to an abrupt halt surrounded by screeching metal and the shouts of its passengers.

* * *

Consciousness returned gradually with much grousing and groans from McCoy.  He took mental stock of himself before opening his eyes and confirming that, yes, he truly _was_ on an alien spaceship which, in turn, was crash-landed on an alien world.  His entire body was sore and exhaustion threatened just at the edge of his awareness.  How the hell was this his life?

"Doctor, I suggest you attempt to open the hatch just above you," Spock's voice game out of the darkened interior.

"Gee, Spock, do you think _that's_ our most logical play?" Bones snarked.  "I thought maybe we could see if this thing had a deck of cards somewhere and pass the time playin' gin."

A pause.  "Leonard, did you strike your head --"

"Spock, one of these days I'm going to school you in the finer points of human sarcasm," McCoy sighed.  "I think you'd appreciate the skill required to deliver a sharp turn of phrase."

Leonard gripped the hatch as he spoke and tugged.  With a screech, the metal gave way and he was able to get enough of an opening to use his hands to push the door aside.  Pale sunlight filtered down and he could just make out the sound of water over rocks.  Bones lifted himself through the port and looked around.

"I can't believe it."

"To what do you refer, doctor?  Our current circumstances or that we survived the crash at all?"

Leonard glanced irritably down at the pale face looking up at him.  "Both, Spock.  I can't believe we lived and I sure as hell can't believe I'm spending what was supposed to be a nice little shore leave stranded on a planet in the middle of godforsaken nowhere."

The omega pulled himself the rest of the way out of the ship and leapt to the gravel below.  He sighed.  At least fresh water was handy so they might last a little longer than a day or two -- assuming they didn't get picked off by the very beings that had put them here.

Behind the doctor, Spock began to pull himself out of the ship.  An uncharacteristic grunt made Leonard glance over.  His eyes widened when he saw the first officer's uniform dyed emerald on one side.

"My God, Spock!"

In an instant, McCoy shifted from sarcastic and fatalistic to focused and professional.  His mind fell into instant analysis of the person requiring his expertise.  Spock had a large chunk of metal protruding from his left side.  Leonard helped him walk toward the front of the ship where the Vulcan could lay back and ease the strain on his wound.  He quickly examined his shipmate.

"Okay ... just try and relax, Spock.  You're gonna be alright."

The Vulcan shifted with a soft exhale of pain.  "The forced optimism in your voice suggests that you are trying to elicit a sense of calm in order to --"

The doctor gave a grim chuckle, caught at his own game.  He waved dismissively.  "Fine, I'll cut the horseshit.  Forgot who I was talkin' to."

"Doctor," Spock began, raising his head with an almost concerned expression.  "I fail to see how excrement of any kind bears relevance on our current situation."  He frowned and began to push himself upright only to stifle a pained shout.

Leonard's eyes widened and he immediately began to restrain Spock from any further movements.  "Whoa whoa whoa ... what the hell are you doing?!?"

"We must keep moving, Doctor," Spock gasped as if the fact were apparent.

It was a testament to how badly injured the Vulcan was that McCoy was able to push him - gently - back against the ship. He gestured frantically at the now freshly bleeding wound.

"Spock, this thing's punctured your iliac region!"

"Time is a critical factor," Spock insisted.

"God save me from stubborn Vulcans," McCoy muttered.  "That's exactly what I'm trying to _tell you --_ if I can't take this out, you're gonna die.  If I take it out but can't stop the bleeding, you're gonna die."

Spock seemed to consider this.  "I can see no appeal in either option."

McCoy looked around, his mind working out various approaches to the problem.  "Believe it or not, neither can I."  Catching sight of a discarded weapon from their original captor, a plan began to form in the omega's mind.  "So, if I remember correctly, Vulcans have their hearts where humans have their livers."

Spock nodded.  "That is correct doctor."

McCoy found a piece of the torn hull that boasted a narrow, sharp point.  "That explains a lot, actually."  He looked over at Spock while he attempted to wrench the piece free.  "You know, you're pretty damn lucky, Spock.  An inch to the left --"  The shard broke free and spilled the doctor into the stream.  He nodded at his prize and moved to a nearby flat rock with his makeshift tools.  "-- and you'd already be dead."

Finding a rock that fit comfortably in his hand, McCoy gauged what he'd need and began to hammer the tip of the gun into shape.  As he did so, Leonard kept musing aloud.  It helped him remain calm but it also gave Spock something else to focus on besides his pain and the uncertainty of his companion's planned treatment.  Spock knew enough of McCoy's skill to trust the man but in such a desolate location, there was still reason to be uneasy.

"I don't get it, Spock.  What did they attack us for?  They do all this for some doodad that the tiny critters didn't want?"

"It is unwise to trivialize that which one simply does not understand, Doctor.  I think we can safely assume it is more important than a ... doodad."

His metalworking efforts done, McCoy settled the weapon in his grip.  "I think you just managed to insult me twice, Spock."  He set the metal piece on the rock and proceeded to heat the tip to a white-hot glow.  Laying the weapon aside, McCoy moved back to Spock's side.  "Alright, Spock ... I've just got one question:  what's your favorite color?"

Spock frowned.  "I fail to see the relevance --"

The omega moved quickly.  He pulled up Spock's shirt, pulled the metal shard free and pressed his cauterizing tool into the Vulcan's side with ruthless accuracy.  Spock let out a howl of pain that echoed down the ravine.  Leonard regarded the wound and the cause which he tossed over his shoulder into the water.

"They say it hurts less if it's a surprise," he explained.

Spock appeared pale and shaken.  "If I might adopt a parlance with which you are familiar?  I can confirm your theory to be horseshit."

Bones grinned.  "Yeah but it works."  He looked up and realized they were out of time.  "We need to get out of here."


End file.
